WHAT was supposed to have been a happy event of a graduation of the Ateneo Law School turned into a tragedy when a lone armed man shot three men dead and left two others injured at 2:55 p.m. yesterday right inside the Areté complex located within the campus of the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) headed by its director PBGen. Remus Medina confirmed that two were killed, including a security guard and another man whose identity is yet to be established as of this writing. The injured also remain unidentified.
According to Philippine National Police (PNP) Public Information Office chief Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba, the suspect is now in the custody of the PNP and is now being investigated.
Earlier reports said that the shooting incident took place at C5 Katipunan Avenue at the Ateneo Gate 3.
In a statement, Supreme Court spokesperson Brian Hosaka said that Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo was supposed to be the guest speaker in the said graduation ceremony which had to be cancelled due to the incident. Ateneo also went on lockdown after the shooting.
“He (Gesmundo) was still in transit when the shooting happened and was advised to turn back… the Chief Justice is safe,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ateneo said in its Twitter page that “due to the incident at Areté, the 2022 Commencement Exercises of the Ateneo Law School scheduled for today, 24 July 2022, has been cancelled. Ateneo is continuing to work with the police and other authorities to deal with the incident.”
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is also probing into the incident. (TSJ)
